The Integrated Ecosystem Management Plan (IEMP) for the Navua River Basin and Beqa Lagoon is designed to address local economic, social, and environmental challenges. The primary objective is to prevent biodiversity loss and enhance the sustainable management of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems through a comprehensive ridge-to-reef approach.
The Navua and Beqa areas possess high ecological, social, and economic value but face numerous threats such as logging, sand/gravel mining, pollution, overfishing, and the impacts of climate change. IEMP proposes five key strategies:
Mitigating impacts at the community level: Improving solid waste management and reducing agricultural pollutants.
Protecting and restoring the environment: Implementing reforestation programs, sustainable forestry management, reef restoration, and establishing and maintaining Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Promoting Nature-Based Solutions (NbS): Utilizing natural measures to improve water supply and drainage systems, as well as enhancing the resilience of riverbanks, coastlines, and transport infrastructure.
Building Ecosystem-Based Livelihoods: Developing responsible ecotourism and enhancing livelihood opportunities from non-timber forest products (NTFPs).
Sharing Knowledge and Capacity Building: Enhancing community capacity on climate change, while implementing regular monitoring, evaluation, and reporting through Report Cards.
The plan development process emphasizes Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) to ensure all community groups have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from management initiatives.
